


A Bloody Crown

by Parselmouth_bloodtraitor



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Best King Ray, Bloodlust, F/M, First King Geoff, Gavin the Fool, Gen, Insanity, King Caleb, King Gavin, King Jack, Mad King Ryan, Multi, POV Jack, Princess Millie, Queen Griffon, Rebellion, Red King Ray, Regret, Righteous King Michael, advisor Caleb, advisor Jack, its a shit ton of tags I know, king AU, knights Michael and Ray, once and future king michael, peasant Gavin, peasant Ryan, physician Caiti, queen caiti, servant Lindsay, servant Meg, squire Kerry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-11 10:42:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1172107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parselmouth_bloodtraitor/pseuds/Parselmouth_bloodtraitor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Long live the King." He spoke, and while the crowd repeated it back to him, Jack only saw the bloodshed, the fallen bodies, that had come with the vagabond's snatching of the crown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bloody Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the lovely artwork done by Mallius on tumblr and various quotes (written in the end notes) and my excitement for King Ryan later today
> 
> Following the line of succession as of the Minecraft Let's Play 79 (ignoring the part where Ryan takes over again after Michael because one can only handle so much of his madness)

The Ramsey line ruled over Achievement City for many years, many successions, and Jack never imagined he would ever see the day that the line came to end. The Ramsey household was loved by the people, and their good hearts were celebrated throughout the kingdom. With the coronation of King Geoff, a peace lived in the kingdom.The people spoke of him like a god, said he shaped mountains with his fingers, created the ocean with a thought, and loved his people with all his heart. There was a peace then that the kingdom would struggle to regain in the future.

Jack longs for those days now, longs for the days where his only worries consisted of whom young Princess Millie would marry when she took the throne, and making sure that King Geoff didn't drink too much at feasts.

The Kingdom was perhaps the most beautiful thing that Jack had seen. At least, how it used to look then was certainly more beautiful than how it looks now. It was pure, unaltered, wholesome, and Jack longs for it again. The people were beautiful too, kind, generous, sympathetic, and it's been a long time since Jack has thought of someone as that. But then, then everyone was beautiful and wonderful and the kingdom shined so brightly that Jack thought that nothing could diminish it.

Jack was an advisor to the king then, a position in the high court he would retain for a long time. Caleb was also an advisor to King Geoff, but he was soon fired from his position, to the extent of being banished from the kingdom. King Geoff did not take cheating lightly, and saw Caleb's methods to discover the plans of other kingdoms unjust and unfair. Caleb was exiled from Achievement City, and it would be a quite a time until Jack ever saw him again.

The knights, the nobility, of the castle craved the trust that King Geoff no longer gave Caleb. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that they would fight for him, die for him, and that was true loyalty wasn't it? King Geoff treated his knights with respect, the same respect he received from them, and under him they all learned how to fight - better, faster, stronger - even the knights that came with no previous knowledge of fighting such as Sir Michael or Sir Ray. They're not violent by nature, but they certainly learned to be deadly, and what they do what that new found power is up to them.

King Geoff was very attuned with his people, and Jack knew it to be common to speak with the peasants of the land, hadn't know a kingdom to be anything else. Jack found himself talking to the farmers a lot, like the peasant named Ryan Haywood (there were other farmers he spoke to of course, but they aren't noteworthy, not like Ryan, not like that Haywood creature). He told great stories, of enchanted swords and great adventures, and Jack thinks now that his madness was even apparent then, but Jack ignored it in favor of hearing more stories, of companionship.

He also spoke to the staff of the castle, being staff himself, and found the servants and squires to be just as happy as he felt about this leadership. Meg and Lindsay looked upon the nobility with respect, and Kerry was happy to do as he was instructed by the King, was happy to be serving the King, and Jack wonders if that is true of the castle staff today.

Sometimes the knights came with him to speak to the peasants, and soon enough it a visit to the city consisted of him, Ray, and Michael regularly. They got on with the peasants easily, and it was kind of beautiful to see nobility and peasantry work together so well.

They all visited Ryan in those days, heard him tell stories of his past as well as of his present day. He complained over the cow that walked into his house and refused to leave, of the chicken that wandered out of the coop and treated his house as its new home, but despite his complaints he never did anything about it. Michael asked why he didn't just kill them, after all the meat was good, but Ryan shrugged off the question. He didn't have the heart to kill, not then, and he developed a strange fondness for the animals, as if they were not animals but his children, and Jack wonders how he missed this obvious show of madness then.

Edgar, he named them both, outlived their purposes eventually, and it hurt Ryan to get rid of them. "King Geoff needs the food," Jack told him, and he thinks that was his greatest mistake of the time. "For the kingdom," he wishes he clarified, but he didn't, didn't think he had to, didn't realize that Ryan's madness would distort it.

Ryan did kill the animals, but soon replaced them with others, and there was a burning hatred in his eyes that was not there before. Jack ignored it, like he had every time before and if Michael or Ray saw it then they never did anything about it either.

The castle was beautiful during the wintertime, and the Yule feast seemed to inspire a feeling of contentment amongst the kingdom that allowed everyone to relax and celebrate, forget their status and ranks for a night, and just enjoy the kingdom they were blessed with, that King Geoff and his advisor Jack had strived to build.

King Geoff sat proudly in the Great Hall, with Queen Griffon to his left and Princess Millie to his right. The Great Hall was lit with candles that made the large castle seem small and homely, and there was a feeling of happiness in Jack's chest that now only sets Jack on edge. But then, then Jack welcomed the smile onto his face and took another goblet of ale. It's Yule after all, and Queen Griffon can watch her husband's drinks for the night; Jack can take this night to relax and celebrate this reign's success.

Jack wishes he never made this mistake.

No one heard it coming. Everyone was in the dining room, laughing and conversing with anyone, _everyone_ , so the steady _thud_  as bodies dropped and quiet whispering of a sword silent killing what few guards were in his way never alerted anyone.

Jack just raised his glass and shared a drink with the king.

Ryan wasn't trying to be stealthy or sly; his kills were clumsy and messy. He slashed a guard's throat quickly with no care for the bloodstain it would leave behind. Gouged out the eyes of another that tried to capture him, to apprehend him, and wiped the blood on his sword off on the man's clothing. He surprised another, and simply just struck him, smashed his head into the wall, and spit on his dead body, on the Ramsey crest of his armor.

Jack doesn't remember exactly what it was that caused the people to notice; maybe it was a particularly loud thud, the sharp ring of sword, the choked scream of a man. Nonetheless, by the time that Ryan had reached the Great Hall, everyone was silent, wondering, waiting.

Ryan walked in without hesitation, despite the blood that adorned his sword and the wicked smile on his face, and everyone in the hall stopped moving.

"Ah, _King_ Geoff, we finally meet," he said, and no one was sure what to do, wasn't sure what Ryan was doing in order to respond properly to it.

"Yes, we do," King Geoff said, and he eyed Ryan's sword. "Why have you come to meet me?"

"You know, it's strange," Ryan started, and Jack remembers thinking that this would not be a story of Ryan's he would want to hear, "in all my time in this kingdom, slaving away under your insane standards, I have never seen you in person before. I have seen your knights, sure, but I have never seen _you._ "

King Geoff took some time before responding. "Often I am unable to visit the town as I would like to, caught up with other duties in the castle."

"And before, before I would have accepted that answer without a thought. But now? Now I'm thinking." He smiled as if he had figured out some giant secret. "I'm thinking you have no right to say that you are attuning with the people that you never see, that your laws never aim to please! I'm thinking that you are a tyrant whose power is not used to benefit your people! I'm thinking that you should not be king anymore!"

King Geoff stood up, anger distorting his face. "What gives you the right to speak to me like this, peasant?"

Ryan walked right up to King Geoff, only a table separated them. "Do my thoughts scare you, King? Does my mind intimidate you?"

"I fear your mind is deteriorating, peasant. Guards, take him away." The few guards left, the one that had remained in the hall the entire time, suddenly sprang into action, on Ryan in the blink of an eye. But another blink later, and the guards laid dead on the ground and more blood adorned Ryan's sword.

"Guards can't protect you now, can't protect you from the truth of what you are."

"You are out of your mind, peasant!"

"What is my name?" Ryan suddenly shouted. "Tell me what my name, tell me who I am, and I will stop." And that wasn't fair to ask of the king, Jack thought, he was running an entire empire, how could he be expected to know every person within it?

A long moment passed before either spoke again. "You took away my family," Ryan said, voice sounding so soft before he built it up to a shout again. "You had me slaughter Edgar, just so you could eat that night. You had me slaughter my family and you don't even know what my name is!"

And this was all over a cow -- a chicken and a cow -- people _died_ because of a cow and Jack felt as though he could be sick. He saw all the signs when the animals had first invaded Ryan's home, saw as Ryan's frustration turned to fondness, as he treated the animals with a care that resembled a mother with a child, and Jack hates himself for not acting sooner.

"Look at you, you're so confused. Perhaps I should help you understand, understand my grief..." And he looked over to Queen Griffon and Princess Millie, and Jack felt his heart drop.

"Stop this madness." King Geoff's voice betrayed him though, worry clearly showing through the shaking of his voice.

"Is it madness? Is it really? You have become a brash, unforgiving tyrant and I refuse to be controlled by you, refuse to believe that is what a King should be! And if that is madness, then may the gods pity the man who is not, who in his callousness can remain sane to this hideous evil!" He looked around to the people of the court, as if he expected them to all suddenly agree with him, rise up with him. "This is not a deterioration of madness; this is not a breakdown of the mind. No, this a break-through. This is the potential liberation and renewal once you are off the throne." And before anyone could as much as respond to his insanity, he'd run his sword through Queen Griffon's chest.

It was so sudden and unexpected that everyone was silent for a moment, trying to process what had just happened, before chaos erupted. Ladies screaming and crying, as the knights ushered everyone out of the hall. Jack did not move, it was all too surreal, and despite how much he wanted to turn away from the cruelty, he could not move his eyes away.

King Geoff had fallen to his knees beside his wife, disbelief written all over his face. Princess Millie had not moved from her chair, too overwhelmed at her young age to experience such a traumatizing event. "No... No, no, no..." King Geoff whispered, probably in a desperate attempt to try to reassure himself.

"Oh, Ramsey, that's just the beginning," Ryan said, and King Geoff shook himself, regained his composure as if suddenly remembering that Ryan was her.

"How _dare_ you-" King Geoff started, but before he could finish his sentence, before he could even finish drawing his weapon, Ryan had gone over to Princess Millie and run her through as well.

"How does it feel?" Ryan asked. "How does it feel to be responsible for so many deaths, to be responsible for digging this kingdom into the ground?"

"I made this kingdom a better place," King Geoff said, eyes cold as steel, "I made this kingdom an empire. So kill me if you wish, but I can die happy with the knowledge that I did something good here."

"Oh trust me, I will." Then, King Geoff's head was on the floor and his blood was soaking the floorboards. His headless body collapsed with a dull thud, and Jack suddenly felt so lightheaded that he could collapse too. This was the moment that would change things, Jack knew even then, as ~~the King~~ ~~Ryan~~ _Haywood_ sat in the throne, his sword dripping blood where multiple bodies laid scattered around him, and said "now this Kingdom can become a better place."

The people didn't know how to react in the face of such an overtaking, and their upset at the bloodshed is quickly silenced by Haywood. His madness was apparent as he struck down those who spoke against him in the middle of the town. He took a peasant by the neck and stuck his sword down his throat, slashed his esophagus, and ripped out his tongue. 

"An example," he said, "needs to be made in order for the people to follow me." Jack didn't understand the Haywood's logic, didn't understand why greatness and ruthlessness had to go together in order for him to rule. Where did compassion go? Where did kindness go? The finer points of the Ramsey household disappeared as Haywood's malevolence spread fear throughout the kingdom, and Jack didn't know what to make of this new kingdom.

And if a peasant that Haywood had flogged in the center of town was anonymously given meat and gold compliments of the court, then Jack would shrug and say he didn't know of it.

Haywood spoke of King Geoff with crazed passion and a tongue soaked in cruelty and lies. "Even under all his pretty titles, the old king was nothing more than a mortal drunkard," he spits, "stumbling around the court with no regard for others, for his people." He wrinkled his nose, as if he had any right to be disgusted, and Jack suddenly and strongly mourns the last king. Haywood may manipulate King Geoff's rule to a castle barely left standing under his stumbling legs, leave King Geoff to be remembered as nothing more than a drunkard, but Jack will remember him as he truly was.

"The old King is dead. Long live the King." He spoke, and while the people repeated it back to him, Jack only saw the bloodshed, the fallen bodies, that had come along with the vagabond's snatching of the crown. A crown now stained in blood, signifying the end of peace in the land and the call for war to take over.

Jack must admit that the people were loyal to Haywood, for a brief time at least, but not for the reasons he would have liked. The people's fears caused them to bite their tongues and they worked under Haywood's insane standards in hope for something, _anything_ , more than the little they were being given. Better to bite your tongue then to have it cut out of your mouth, they thought. It wasn't loyalty, it was survival, and Jack hated every moment of it.

Sir Michael tried to treat the new King as he did the last, tried to be a good subject and do as he demanded, but the madness did not infect him as it did Haywood. Haywood treated no one with respect, except maybe his cows, which had their place in the kingdom, underneath the kingdom looking through a glass ceiling. Once, a servant stumbled upon this tragedy of animal cruelty, and when taken to the king the boy pleaded and promised that he would say nothing. Ryan agreed that he would say nothing, but not before he had taken his diamond sword and slit the boy's throat, carved out his voice box, and let his head roll through the corridors.

"The people wouldn't understand," he said, "they don't understand that Edgar chose to be here, to be with me." And Jack thought that perhaps that was true of the first Edgar, but not of the six or seventh one.

Haywood used many justifications like this though, spoken with the clear lucidity of a madman who escaped the hypocrisy of having to abide by a reality that made no sense, and more and more blood began to coat the corridors of the castle.

Sometimes these people could be saved by the physician - Caiti, Jack learned her name was, after trips to the infirmary became far too common in Haywood's kingdom - she could stop the seemingly endless bleeding, cease the pain, and repair the body. But while the bodies of the people could be saved, perhaps without a finger or two, the minds could not be mended, the trauma could not be forgotten, the memory not erased. The other people, the ones that were not so lucky, that could not be saved by Caiti, never even had the chance to see her. They were the ones caught by the king, in the act of treason, espionage, and secretly disposed of by the king, taken by him and never seen again.

Later, much later, they all learned where those bodies went, down in a hole, _the hole_ , mixed up with the carcasses of dead cows and corpses of men, all with their own identity but just known as Edgar to Haywood.

"Why are you here?" Caiti asked one night, the only other sounds in the infirmary consisting of the steady breaths of the patients, which was not something to be taken lightly in those times.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, not quite as involved in the conversation as he was with watching her replace the soaked gauze on a patient's arm.

"I _mean_ you're an advisor, so why are you in the infirmary instead of helping... _him_ with some kingly business or something?" Her eyes didn't leave the gauze as she wrapped it, but Jack was pretty sure it was not wrapped that tightly before.

Jack just shrugged at first, unsure of how to answer without sounding treasonous. How was he supposed to say that what Haywood was doing was not kingly business; that hurting people, killing people that spoke against him was not kingly but cowardly and Jack didn't want to be a part of that cruelty, would rather be saving those people instead of watching them bleed, and wasn't the infirmary the place where that miracle happened?

Caiti didn't seem surprised by his silence, and let the silence simmer for a moment before speaking up again. "I'm nearly out of Burdock." She sighed. "It helps the blood circulate and reduce the swelling." She didn't say why this mattered, but she didn't really have to, looking at all the patients covered in bruises and long cuts that must have bled for hours before she was able to blot it out.

"I'll get some soon," Jack said, said it so casually that it surprised himself a little how indifferent he sounded in the desperate attempt to hide his own fear.

"Shouldn't you ask the _king_ first?" The amount of contempt and hatred in one sentence struck Jack speechless for a moment, before he gathered his bearings and looked at Caiti, really looked at her, and he doesn't know what it is about her that makes him trust her, but he suddenly does and he couldn't stop what he was about to say.

"That man on the throne isn't a _king_ , isn't even a man anymore. What kind of man could do this to his fellow people?" He matched her contempt and hatred word for word, and then she is surprised. She looked up and met his eyes and a flicker of hope shined through that Jack couldn't help but feel in himself too. They'd get through this, he'd thought a little giddily, a little high on the hope he had been deprived of for some time, they'd be able to get through this _together._

Jack wasn't surprised when a rebellion rose up. The young people of the kingdom had the nerve, the bravery, that the older peasants no longer possessed, and the united together under the oppressive rule of their _king._ No one spoke of Haywood as King then, just as an oppressor and a dictator, and _king_ was only spat out with other words intended to sting or to burn as a title that died along with King Geoff.

The rebellion was not only made up of peasants, Jack soon realized as he overheard the knights in the training field, but also of knights and servants of the royal court. "The truly brave of heart," Sir Michael said, a casual, persuasive smile on his face. "Those who are willing to fight Haywood's unjust rule," Sir Ray commented, and there was a bloodlust in his eyes that Jack knew each of the knights possessed, but had never seen it directed at the king before. Michael didn't seem to have that same bloodlust that Ray had, but a strong will and a good heart that wanted to redeem the people from the pain Haywood had inflicted.

And if he saw Sir Michael and Sir Ray leave the castle at night and go into town, he never said anything of it.

And if he and Caiti followed soon after, the guards never said anything of it either.

Rebellion isn't pretty, Jack soon realized as he waded through the crowded home. It was far too small for a meeting of such importance, yet considering the disappointments these people had to deal with on a daily basis, this was one of the least important. The importance was that they were even there, participating in such an incredible and dangerous event. Caiti informed him it was the home of a peasant named Gavin, and Jack thought him to be a brave individual indeed to host such an event.

He caught sight of a man standing tall at the very back of the house, armed with a bow and arrow and clothing that seemed to be made from real creeper skin and Jack still wonders at how he must have gotten that. How could one skin a creeper? They explode at just the nearest touch. Jack eyed the belt of dynamite that he wore around his waist, and he felt as though this man understood explosions more than most did. He clearly seemed like the leader at that moment, but then Sir Michael and Sir Ray joined him and Jack realized that they were all the leaders of this rebellion. The man seemed horribly out of place with the knights at his side, taller and ganglier than the knights were, but he did not stand down. That was the Gavin man that Caiti had spoken of. 

Sir Michael spoke first, and Jack wasn't sure if the people were listening to him because of his rank or because they considered him an equal in these desperate times. "So few people want to rebel these days," he'd said, "and out of those few, many scare easily." He smiled. "I am glad to have you brave people with me for this battle."

"And it will be a battle," Ray spoke up. "This isn't going to be pretty. Rules will be broken, friendships will be tested, and huge risks will be taken." He shrugged. "But they're small prices to pay for freedom, right?"

"Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before the emperor," Gavin added, his words clear despite his accent, "but today we only kneel to the truth and fight for what we deserve."

"Today we fight Haywood's control and dominance; today we overthrow an unjust king, and I urge you to fight the turgid slick of Haywood's cruelty intended to enslave us and challenge his leadership with us," Ray included, and the people cheered, including Jack himself. They were going to fight, they were going to get their kingdom back, even if they died trying. It already felt as though they were dying under Haywood's rule, being slowly suffocated under his rule, and rebellion felt as though it was the only thing that could keep them alive.

Jack wondered how this rebellion would be remembered in future generations, and he saw Gavin, Sir Michael, and Sir Ray all talking amiably with one another and he wondered if this day in history would be known as the lad's rebellion. He saw as Sir Michael playfully pushed Gavin around and as Ray threw his head back and laughed while Gavin stumbled, and Jack kind of hoped it would be.

Haywood was not so ignorant to miss the discontent amongst the people. Jack was with him on the day of the scheduled rebellion when he voiced his worries out loud. He moved towards the window, and paused to look outside at the town for a moment. "The people are planning a rebellion, aren't they?" Haywood asked, and Jack panicked. Did Haywood know their plans; did he know Jack was involved, what was he going to do?

"The squire, Kerry, told me he saw a gathering in town last night," Haywood continued, not even looking at Jack, didn't even see the panic that had momentarily paralyzed him.

"Is that so?" Jack asked, trying his best to sound unknowledgeable about the entire affair.

Haywood just nodded and turned away from the window to sit back in his throne again. "Why do they not accept me as their leader; why do they like that drunkard over me?"

Jack didn't say anything, but something on his face must have shown what he was thinking, now that Haywood was looking.

"I didn't like hurting others," Haywood started, and it reminded Jack of the old Ryan, before he became the Haywood creature under the title of a king, "not at first that is. But I learned. I learned to take pleasure in their screams of pain, learned to welcome the hate in their eyes, learned to be enthralled as I dug my sword into their bodies. This world is filled with cruel people who would not think twice over hurting me. So don't you see? I had no choice. I had to learn to hurt others. Nobody would listen to a weak king; I had to prove myself so the people would listen and respect me."

Jack didn't correct him, didn't see the point to. Haywood wanted to gain rank in the world, respect in the throne, but the peasant hadn't known how to. He'd thought that he'd gain power through violence, through victory in swordsmanship, but the only place that gave him in the world was as a threat. The liberation and renewal he had spoken of had turned to enslavement and existential death, and it was too late to change it. So Jack didn't say anything, just bowed and left, waited for Gavin's bombs to shake the castle and the rebellion to begin.

That was how the rebellion started a few hours later. The castle shook and the staff sprang into action. They abandoned their responsibilities of the moment in order to pick up a weapon, whether be it a sword or a broom, and marched towards the throne. Haywood responded just as quickly, sending those who were still loyal to him out to deal with the annoyance. Jack thinks that he wasn't expecting so many people to come after him.

The fighting broke Jack's heart, so many dying over one man's rule, but at the same time it was also kind of wonderful to see so many diverse people unite together.

Outside, he could see peasants fighting the knights that dared to defend Haywood, and saw Gavin running amongst them, shooting arrows at those who got in his way as ran towards the entrance. Sir Michael was also outside, though he didn't seem to be fighting more than watching the peasants fight, running in when it was obvious that a particular peasant was outmatched in skill. Sir Ray didn't seem to be outside, and Jack wondered if he was inside the castle. Ray was an impressive fighter, so it was entirely plausible that he could have been slashing his way through the castle on his way to Haywood.

Haywood. Jack wondered if anyone had made it to the throne room, if anyone would dare take him on all on their own.

Jack found himself running there before he realized what he was doing. He didn't know whether he was going there to see if someone else was fighting Haywood or to fight him himself, but he remembers thinking that this was time to take that huge risk that the lads had been talking about the other night.

The doors to the throne room were already opened by the time Jack arrived, guards dead nearby but Jack didn't even register it until he was inside. More dead bodies lined the room by the throne, but Jack just watched as he saw Haywood and Sir Ray caught in a sword fight.

The fight was mostly just a silent affair, the only sound being the clashing of swords. Jack didn't dare breathe the entire battle, too afraid to make a noise, but he does remember some exchange words between the two opponents. "Why are you fighting a battle you can't possibly win?" Ryan had asked, and they exchanged a few more blows before Sir Ray had answered "because you sought power just to wield it with hatred, and it is our duty to defy your dominance and challenge your unjust control of us."

There were no more words exchanged for a long time after that; the only conversation after that was exchanged through the movement of their swords. Jack doesn't remember exactly how it happened; it felt like a year had gone by but it could have been seconds before Sir Ray had disarmed Haywood and knocked him to the ground. Ray placed the tip of his sword on Haywood's chest, quietly said "you are the tyrant in this kingdom" before his sword dragged through Haywood's skin, cutting and slashing while he screamed.

Ray finished off the torture by cutting off Haywood's head, and the sudden lack of screaming startled Jack, the silence deafening and the bloodlust in Ray's eyes terrifying. It was then that Jack realized the slashings on Haywood's person were not aimless cuts but sloppily etched out Ray's name.

There was still fighting going on outside, he distantly knew. He should have gone out and declared the king to be dead, but Jack couldn't seem to get his feet to work. Ray's violent killing disturbed Jack. This was the power he was given when he learned to be a knight, learned to be deadly, Jack thought, and this is what he decided to do with it.

Gavin entered soon after, with Sir Michael following close behind. They both looked shocked to see Haywood already dead with Ray holding the bloody sword. Sir Michael then looked delighted to see Haywood finally dead; Gavin looked disappointed but Jack dismissed it at the time, thinking nothing of it. He'd understand it later though, and it would become another thing that he would regret.

"Ray!" Sir Michael exclaimed. "You did it!" Ray did not answer so much as sigh in relief. "Gavin, c'mon let's tell everyone else." Then the two sprinted out of the hall, shouting "The King is dead!" throughout the corridors. Ray seemed unmovable, shocked by what he did, and Jack did not dare disturb him from whatever he was thinking about. The people did it for him anyway, all coming in at once to see the fallen king.

They praised Ray as a hero, all going to him to thank him despite the fact he was covered in blood, despite the fact that Ray's name was gruesomely carved into Ryan's body. They will ignore the insanity and obvious bloodlust for the time, because Ryan is slain and Ray is his slayer and _give the crown to the hero, give the kingdom to the man that saved us all._

It is remembered as Ray's rebellion instead.

Jack hears the talk throughout the castle, whether it is those of a high rank or simple peasants. He heard as the people deemed Ray "the Best King" and heard it when the title "the Red King" followed soon afterwards as roses decorated the castle. Jack understood the people's love of King Ray, but when he looked at King Ray he didn't see a kind king that stood beside them in a rebellion, but a boy lost in the bloodlust of the crown. The stories of King Ray's triumphs forgot that ruling after a mad king did not make him a good king, but the people were so eager to have a good king again after the failure of Haywood's short reign that King Ray's shortcomings were forgotten in hope of united kingdom again.

"The Red King" came from the king's love of roses, but Jack also thought it to be fitting in more way than one. Roses are red, yes, but red is also blood and red is fire, and while the people could pretend not to see it, Jack saw it, saw it from that first moment he spoke of rebellion, saw it as he slayed Haywood, saw it when he was crowned, saw it as he ruled.

Roses never look beautiful to him again; their red petals look like they are stained in blood and their thorns like swords, and all he is reminded of is the poor rule of King Ray.

He used to be a knight, used to be the best knight. He won against all that challenged him, all that he challenged. He was good at games, good at this game of life and death and a mere sword was his weapon of mass destruction. A sword fight with him was always good fun, and Ray laughed once he pinned his sparring partner down and he was clearly seen as the victor. He liked being seen as the victor. He began sparring tournaments during his time in the castle, and occasionally fought in them himself. Those tournaments he always won.

When Ray lost though, that is when things got scary. A peasant, _peasant,_ challenged him one day, and Ray thought nothing of it, just thought it was a peasant looking for a fun fight against the king even if he was only going to be beaten by the king and then they could both laugh and depart ways.

They didn't depart ways like the rest had before him.

The fight proceeded, and as it went on the king became more and more worried. He fought hard and with more effort than fights he had participated in during the past, yet in the end he wa disarmed and the peasant had his sword at his throat. No one moved for a moment, shocked at this sudden turn of events, but then the crowd the fight had attracted cheered, and the peasant laughed. "Oh wow, this must be my lucky day, huh? Who knew anyone could ever beat you!"

Ray didn't laugh, just glared at the peasant and the crowd surrounding them, before picking his sword up and stabbing the peasant in the chest.

No one dared to challenge Ray to a fight afterwards, and the tournaments Ray had taken to participating in had no one else to join them. Ray became aggravated that no would fight him, that his last fight was that of a loss, and he began to take extreme action. He walked up to the peasants in the town and challenged them himself. The poor peasants that were called out were forced to grab a weapon and fight, but none of them tried to be clever, none of them fought to win. They fought to survive, and if that meant throwing the fight then so be it. Ray became angry that they weren't trying though, and in his frustration killed them all.

This pattern continued on for weeks.

No one spoke to Ray of this insanity, Jack included, in fear of being challenged as well. Jack heard the rumors though, heard as the peasants tried to justify Ray's actions. _He slayed Haywood, he's a hero._  Heard as Gavin spoke in hushed tones to Sir Michael over how Ray did not belong on the throne. _He's hurting people, killing people. No king should ever be like that. People like us should be king, Michael._  Yet everyone just watched on as the killings continued, that is until Sir Michael braved the issue and spoke to Ray about the murder. Jack just sat and watched as Sir Michael walked into the throne room with Gavin in tow.

"Michael! Gavin! What a pleasant surprise!" Ray cooed. "What brings you here?" Jack saw as Ray's grip around his sword tightened and his smile widened, probably thinking that they had come for a duel.

"We're not here to fight," Michael said, noticing what Jack had.

"Oh, then why are you here?"

"We're here as your friends, Ray."

"Uh huh."

"You're fucking killing people, Ray." Gavin said bluntly, and Michael glared at him.

"All this fighting you have been doing Ray..." Michael said carefully. "It's hurting people. Don't you think you should possibly take a break from challenging so many people?"

Ray remained silent for a moment. "It's all in jest, Michael. Honestly, it's fine, just a bit of fun for everyone. And after the last king, don't you think we should be finding a way for everyone to have some fun?"

"This isn't fun," Gavin said.

"You're killing people, Ray. That isn't fun for anyone," Michael said, a little louder and angrier than before.

"It's fine. You guys shouldn't be worried."

"No, no it's not fine!" Michael shouted, exposing his rage. "Tell me Ray, of the last dozen of people you fought how many survived? How many have you killed while on the throne? Think of the kingdom, Ray! Everyone's so hurt, so battered from Haywood's reign, and your fighting is not helping them get over it. You need to stop this!"

Ray remained silent for another moment before sighing. "You're right, Michael. You're right, of course you're right."

"You need to give up the crown, Ray. Give it to someone who deserves it," Gavin spoke up, as he stepped forward and in front of Michael.

"Yeah, and I think I know exactly who to give it to." Gavin smiled brightly, but then Ray stepped past him and his smile diminished.

Ray held the crown out to Michael. "Wait, me?" Michael asked, suddenly so small and unlike himself.

"Yeah, you. I couldn't think of anyone better," Ray answered, placing the crown upon Michael's head. Michael looked so proud, so unbelieveably happy with this change of events, and Jack remembers how much he loved of peaceful transfers of power instead of the bloodshed the kingdom had witnessed then as kings changed.

Michael could have been the best king yet, Jack thought, he certainly had the potential, but it was the wrong time, the wrong circumstances, that made Michael's rule doomed from the start.

The people were upset at the loss of King Ray, "the Best King", and despised Michael for taking what Ray had so deserved. The transfer of power had been peaceful, the coronation of Michael calm, and Michael thought that as King the people would soon see that it was the best decision for the kingdom. For a time, it seemed like there was peace again, but the harmony collapsed as soon it arrived as the people raged under Jones, saying cruel things that Jack had not heard for quite a time, had not heard since the days of Haywood.

King Michael told him that it did not bother him, that, given time, the people would come to change their mind on him, but Jack saw the bags under his eyes and the tightness of his mouth and knew that he must look a mirror image to him.

He welcomed Gavin into the castle, ridding his peasant status to replace it with the title of a jester, and Gavin smiled at him and gave his thanks that weren't quite grateful but bitter. The change of rank allowed Gavin into the castle and to be with Michael all throughout the day, but Michael was wrong in thinking that was what Gavin wanted. Gavin wanted power, wanted nobility, and the golden boots he got as uniform made him feel even lesser than before, than as a peasant. He took to calling them "piss boots" and Michael took his complaints in jest, everyone took his complaints in jest, he was the _jester_ for god's sake. Nobody thought to take him seriously, and no one did, Jack included.

Jack regrets that decision now, and wonders _what if, what if_ I _took Gavin seriously, what would have changed then? Would Michael still be ruling today? Do I want him to be_?

Michael ruled much differently than Ray had. Where Michael's bloodlust comes out in as his anger grows and his control lessens, destroying things he shouldn't and hurting people close to him, Ray's bloodlust is a part of him, the desire to cause harm hidden like thorns behind soft petals. As long as Michael kept his rage inside, the kingdom prospered, and Jack spent his time worrying at Michael's calm instead of what truly would lead to his demise.

Michael's downfall did not lie in his rage, his impatience, but in his ignorance, his trustfulness. The compassion that Jack had longed to see in their ruler again was what led to demise.

The rebellion the peasants set up reminded him of the rebellion during Haywood's reign. It worried him because that rebellion led to the king's death, and he hoped that King Michael would not face such a hideous end. _Not so early, not so soon, not before he could change things, make things better._

The peasants attack the castle as they did before, using all their manpower and resources that they could gather, and while the people within the castle were ready to defend King Michael, it was doomed from the start. Explosions shook the castle where bombs were no doubt being set off, and Jack wondered who was doing that now since that was Gavin's position in the last rebellion. He wondered who was leading the rebellion, since all their previous leaders were in the castle at that moment. At least, that's where he thought they were. But when he rushed to throne room to protect the king, Gavin was not with him as he usually was.

"Where's Gavin?" he asked.

King Michael shrugged. "I'm not sure. If I didn't know better I would say he's the one setting off all those bombs."

Ray laughed next to Michael, personal knight to the King. "He's probably crying over the fact that someone else could set up bombs without his help."

King Michael smiled. "Yeah, probably." But as quick as his smile appeared, it vanished, and the roar of fighting around them became all the more palpable around them in the silence. _"Stop fighting us, peasants. We don't want to harm y-"_ then there was no more talking, just the sound of weapons clashing and bodies dropping.

"There's no way I'm going to survive this, is there?" King Michael asked. Before Jack could answer - _we're going to try our best to insure that you do, you're the king, you're the best king we've had in a long time -_ the throne room doors were thrown open. Gavin walked in with bombs trapped to his belt, a sword on his waist, and a bow and arrow in his hands. His presence did not relax Jack though, as the bow and arrow were armed and aimed at them.

"Gavin..." King Michael said, but his voice trailed off. Jack wasn't sure what he was going to ask, wasn't sure which question he would have asked first. _What are you doing? Where have you been? Why are you facing a weapon at me?_

"You're leading this rebellion." Ray said. Not a question, just a statement.

Gavin smirked and there is something in Gavin's face that King Michael did not recognize, that Jack himself did not recognize at the time. His true face smiled like a vicious thing, something about the sharp smile and the wicked ease with which Gavin held himself that set his teeth on edge, and in that moment no one dared to think of Gavin as a fool.

Jack does not think of Gavin as a brave man as he did before either. He then realized that Gavin did not help overthrow the crown out of bravery or kindness, but for his own selfish purposes. He wanted the crown, wanted the power so desperately, and had been denied it every attempt as Michael and Ray usurped the throne from under him. His discontent amongst leaders were not so much an unjust rule, but want for the title that Ray had gotten when he had killed a king, and now he was going to kill a king himself in order to obtain that power.

"Why?" King Michael asked, sounding so small and so broken. How it must have felt to be betrayed by his best friend.

"You should have never been king. It should have been me," Gavin said, never lowering the weapon.

"Gavin, stop this," Ray said, standing in front of King Michael, in front of where the arrow was aimed.

"You should have given the crown to me, Ray," Gavin said coldly. "Now move before I shoot you in the heart."

"Never," Ray said boldly, unsheathing his weapon before Gavin.

Gavin shot him before he even got it fully out.

"Gavin!" King Michael yelled, jumping up and going over to Ray's body. Blood was slowly soaking his shirt and his armor, and if he wasn't dead yet, the blood loss was soon going to take him. "Ray was our friend." Michael sighed before walking over to where Gavin stood. He hadn't reloaded his weapon yet, but Michael hadn't even brought his sword with him to face Gavin and Jack wanted to shout at him. _What are you doing? He's going to kill you!_ _  
_

"Gavin, don't do this, please. We can work something out. Us, together, ruling this kingdom. Please, Gavin," King Michael pleaded, his hand reaching out for Gavin. They were only a few steps away from each other.

Gavin began shaking his head. "I'm sorry Michael," he said, tucking his bow into his belt, "but I can't do that." He took out the sword.

"Then make it quick." _Make it honorable._  And Michael's acceptance of Gavin’s betrayal, of Gavin’s takeover, ended with the particularly desperate plead. Gavin nodded briefly, just a tilt of the head really, before digging the knife directly in the center of Michael’s chest. Michael lets out a quick gasp before his body went still and his eyes lost focus. His body fell to the ground and blood pooled around him, but Gavin stayed there for a moment, not moving, before mechanically removing his knife from Michael's chest and getting up to stand tall once again. He picked up the crown, covered in blood like his golden boots were, and clutched it in his fist.

Gavin does not remove the bloody gold boots from his feet, never will, and Jack has found that to be one thing he never truly understands of the fool king. The piss boots that he had mocked and hated were never removed from his person, never allowed to be touched by another, and the blood that adorned them was never completely cleaned off. At first, Jack had thought it to be insanity, which he attributed to the reasoning of many of Gavin's actions, but as time went on he thought that perhaps this was his way of mourning Michael, of punishing himself for what he did, what he became in his power hungry struggle for the crown, a bloody crown, and Jack wants to shout at Gavin. _Was it worth it? Was it really worth it to kill your best friend?_

Jack will remember Michael as a righteous king, even if no one else will, and will pray to the gods that he will be remembered as the once and future king, so that one day he will be able to use his potential to help a kingdom, that he will be born again in a time with better circumstances for his compassion to be used.

Jack didn't sleep that night after Michael's death, couldn't sleep, felt like it was King Geoff's death all over again. Caiti noticed, but she never said anything about it. She couldn't sleep either.

Gavin does not lose the title of Fool during his reign, even if it was never spoken aloud to him. Despite his long battle to reach the crown, he was still born and raised a peasant, and came into the crown with no understanding of politics, of money, of power. The power went to his head quick, and he used it selfishly. Jack tried to fix it, to fix him, but he soon found it easier to let King Gavin, the Fool, use his power to charm the chambermaids, while Jack silently handled the politics. Better be it that someone does it correctly, Jack thought, than Gavin accidently starting a war.

Jack will later see how ironic that thought was, and even later, much _much_ later, he will learn to laugh about it.

Jack sometimes found that he had hope for Gavin to become a better king, after all he was young, so young, too young, and he thought that perhaps with time these things will change. He could grow out of his selfishness, out of his paranoia, and become the great king that Achievement City had been deprived of for so long. So Jack waited, and he watched. He watched as Gavin ignored his responsibilities and ignored his people, but he also saw when young Gavin Free fell in love with one of the chambermaids he had tumbled, and Jack thought that maybe this would be it, that this would change him. Love could humble Gavin, couldn't it? It had been a long time since there was a queen in the court and Jack desperately wished that the goofy grin he saw on Gavin's face would be cause for a great change in the kingdom.

Jack wonders, if Gavin had the chance to continue his courtship of Meg, would they have been the great leaders that the people so desired?

Caleb Denecour was not trusted in Achievement City as he once was. That trust faded with King Geoff's banishment of the advisor, and in his exile he managed to rise up again, as leader of his own land, as king. No one knew how he managed it, but there was no doubt that trickery and cheating were a part of it.

A delicate peace hung in the balance between the two kingdoms, but tensions increased during Gavin’s reign as news told of the powerful warriors Caleb had managed to train. And his next stop? Achievement City, of course. Gavin didn’t know what to do, _so young_ , so with some trepidation, he sent out a few knights to Caleb’s kingdom in order to discover his strengths and weaknesses in case these rumors of war were true.

Those knights were never seen again.

Caleb came to Achievement City in the middle of Gavin's reign, speaking words of the peace treaty agreed to under King Geoff, but it was twisted and manipulated in a way that made Jack sick, made Achievement City seem like the enemy.

“I thought we had agreed to leave each other be in our personal affairs, yet the other day some Achievement City knights were found wandering about my kingdom,” he said. “Why is that?”

“We had reasonably cause to send them to your lands,” King Gavin said, yet even on the throne, wearing his golden crown, he did not have the presence of a king. More of a boy, a confused, scared boy.

“Oh? And what was that?”

“There were rumors of your kingdom spreading across my lands. I needed to provide proof to my subjects that they were false and of no concern to our kingdom.”

“And what were these rumors? Actually no, let me guess. Was it about how much of a cheat and liar that I am? That’s usually a popular idea of me here.” His voice had taken on a bitter edge, and Gavin seemed to be shrinking under the weight of it. “There’ no truth to it, never was any, but that never stopped anyone before.”

“You were found stealing the plans of another kingdom by King Geoff.” It came out more like a question though, and Jack wanted to curse Gavin for sounding so weak when the kingdom was at risk.

“That doesn’t mean I should be treated as an outcast, as a monster, by everyone. That small hiccup should not have warranted my exile. I was out there for so long, with nowhere to go, nothing to eat, just with _nothing._ ” A small smile graced his face, but it wasn’t kind. “But all that suffering led me to here, the king of my own kingdom, with power that I never even imagined, with power that King Geoff never used for his subjects.”

“King Geoff was a great king.”

“That’s not what I have been hearing recently. ‘Mortal drunkard’ is more like it, and I like the sound of that much better for his title.”

“And you’ve been listening to the affairs concerning our kingdom recently?” Gavin sounded smug, like he caught out Caleb for his hypocrisy, as if Caleb wasn’t going to just talk his way out of it.

“Oh yes. You’re not the only one hearing rumors recently.” Caleb’s voice lowered to a whisper. “And may I share with you another rumor I have heard from your kingdom, a rumor about you, King Gavin, _the fool._ I must wonder what gave you such a title.” Jack wanted Gavin to rise up then, stand up to Caleb so that he would no longer look at Gavin as young and weak and easy to defeat; so he would begin to look at Achievement City as a powerful, united kingdom, instead of subjects ready to throw their ruler away with insults on their tongues.

“You were right to be cautious, Gavin the Fool. I have the strongest warriors this land has seen in decades, and we are coming for you and your unjust lands.”

Caleb went back to his lands, only to return a few days later with his army in tow. Gavin sent his army out as well in order to protect the kingdom, but he did not lead them as Caleb did. Caleb walked with his army, fought with his army, while Gavin hid in the castle in a desperate attempt to save his own neck.

“He’s close.” He had said to Jack after he had assigned his knights to their fighting positions.

“Yes, he is.” Jack agreed, unsure of what else to say in the face of impending war.

Gavin sighed and closed his eyes. “What am I going to do?” He asked quietly, never opening his eyes. Jack didn’t answer, didn’t want to start yelling at the king to stop thinking of himself for once and to start thinking of his kingdom instead.

“It’s time for battle, sire. The time for talking is over. I suggest you grab a mace and head out to the courtyard to fight.” Jack said instead, but it was only a half-hearted request as he knew that Gavin would not put himself at risk like that, not now, not when he had status and power and riches to lose.

Jack was halfway out the door, about to join the battlements with the knights, when he heard Gavin quietly ask “do they really call me fool?” He backed into the room a few step to look over at Gavin. Gavin’s face was staring at the wall, not looking at Jack, not acknowledging the question he had asked. Jack could have just walked out and pretended he heard nothing at all, but instead he took a breath and said “yes.” That was the last word that Jack said to him.

Jack’s words obviously did not affect Gavin in any sort of way as Jack fought knight after knights only to never see Gavin around. Jack can clearly remember the way Gavin just shrugged his shoulders when given advice, could practically hear the way Gavin chased away the help with a noncommittal noise. _It’s fine. Have some faith in me. I can do this I’m the King._

Though despite Gavin’s downfall of stupidity and blindness of narcissism, Jack looked at Caleb and saw much worse hiding behind his eyes. In this war between the two kingdoms, Gavin needed to win, otherwise Caleb would be the new king and Jack dreaded the thought. He watched Caleb with a close eye, watched him slice through knights like butter, and followed him as he made his way through the castle to find Gavin. He saw as he made it to the throne room that held Gavin inside, saw as he made his way inside and his knights held Jack back from intervening. By the time Jack had defeated the knights in his way to the throne room, he only walked in to find Gavin’s dead body on the ground and the crown in Caleb’s hands.

“I suggest you give up, Jack. There’s no point of fighting anymore.” His eyes barely glanced over to Jack before going back to the crown in his hands. “No longer being an advisor was the best thing that ever happened to me. I mean, look at me. I rule two kingdoms now.” His eyes rested on Jack. “What have you done, Jack, the master of none?”

For some reason, Jack took a moment to think about it. All he had done in the past years was watch as blood painted the walls, watch rulers kill one another for a bloody crown, watch as unfit people came to fill the role of a King. He looked over Caleb’s person, the blood on his sword, the crown in his hands, and thought _did he really want to see another unfit king rule?_

Jack had always had a position in the High Court, but never before had his title been King, never before did he ever think it would be. But as Caleb’s blood adorned his sword and the crown graced his hands, the time had come for him.

Even now, even after years had passed, Jack doesn't feel much different as a King, doesn't really feel like a King, doesn't really feel like he deserves such a title. Caiti tells him that no one deserves it more than him, and Jack grants the land with a queen to his kingship, and for a moment Jack feels like he could do this, _they_ could do this, bring peace to a land that has witnessed far too much bloodshed as of late and change the tradition of the bloody crown upon his head. Neither of them were meant to be royalty, but neither was Haywood, or Michael, or Ray, or Gavin, so Jack stands tall besides Caiti, ready to face the challenge of change.

He doesn't ever think that the castle shines again, not like it used to. It doesn't have the same beauty that it did years ago, and despite the blood stains that had been cleaned and scrubbed away, they were not forgotten. The crown may have been spotless but Jack does not forget when it was covered in blood, in King Geoff's blood, and he doesn't think he will ever be able to forget the blood that soiled the kingdom. And he's never killed anyone, yet sometimes he feels as if a knife is being dug into his chest, a quiet knife of regret at being unable to save the others.

They ruled with a compassion and kindness that the people had not seen in years, and if the last time they saw that compassion was in the time of King Geoff's rule, the drunkard's rule, no one contested against it. And if the kingdom that succumbed to all the bloodshed suddenly became the just land that King Geoff and his advisor Jack had strived to build ages ago, no one minded. And if the King now was seen deep in thought, lost in the deep chambers of his mind, wondering at the rulings of the past, Queen Caiti would pour him some ale and let King Jack smile at the memory of sharing the same ale with King Geoff in the golden age of the empire.

**Author's Note:**

> "If I am mad, it is mercy! May the gods pity the man who in his callousness can remain sane to the hideous end!" -H.P. Lovecraft  
> "He spoke with the clear, unequivocal lucidity of madmen who have escaped the hypocrisy of having to abide by a reality that makes no sense." -Carlos Ruiz Zafon  
> "Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be break-through. It is potential liberation and renewal as well as enslavement and existential death." -R.D. Laing  
> "Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form." -Herman Melville  
> "I have found both freedom and safety in my madness; the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us." -Kahlil Gibran  
> "He is mad about being small when you were big, but no, that's not it, he is mad about being helpless when you were powerful, but no, not that either, he is mad about being contingent when you were necessary, not quite it... he is insane because when he loved you, you didn't notice." -Donald Barthelme  
> "This isn't going to be pretty. Rules will be broken. Friendships will be tested. And huge risks will be taken. But they're small prices to pay for true love and freedom, right?" -Lisi Harrison

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Crown](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4353206) by [scarcrow11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarcrow11/pseuds/scarcrow11)




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